About adivaani

Johar.

India is home to more than 84 million ‘Indigenous’ Peoples. Now, that’s an impressive figure and many a tribal would be overwhelmed by that number. But what else is known about us? An entry on the internet or a read in a book would throw up a stereotypical romanticized tribal lifestyle. More often than not we wonder if that is who we really are, is all that’s written about us really true.

Adivasis have a distinct socio-political and cultural identity that makes them unique as a self-sufficient community. Adivasi music, songs and dances have only been limited to the opening and closing ceremonies of government and civil society functions in schools, hospitals, colleges etc.

The history of Adivasi struggles and culture has always been written by others, i.e. by the mainstream historians. They have largely manipulated, ignored and even neglected the contributions of the Adivasi heroes in the freedom struggle of India.

The Adivasis hold on to their cultural and historical heritage with great pride, however no documentation of this rich legacy has been made by themselves.

In view of the current ‘modernisation’ and industrialisation in India, it is feared that in the near future many folk, ceremonial and other ritual art forms of the Adivasis will disappear, and it won’t be incorrect to state that the traditional oral forms of storytelling is an endangered intangible culture.

adivaani is a response to this situation.

Are we content with what’s been written about us by others? What can we turn to when we want to read, know and study about authentic Adivasi culture, history, folklores, heroes and literature?

We want to create a database of Adivasi writing for and by Adivasis. We want to document the oral forms of storytelling and folklores and tell our stories of struggles, exploitation and displacement in our words.

We seek the participation of Adivasi contemporary writers, poets and researchers and anyone who feels for the Adivasi cause to help, preserve and amplify the Adivasi voice, the adivaani.

About adivaani

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One thought on “About adivaani”

Thank you, Ruby, Joy and Luis, it is simply wonderful to hear you speak your hearts out. I love to hear and listen you more and more …..

However, I earnestly desire that we are able to reach out to millions of deprived, marginalised and displaced Adivasi people still living in rural areas of central eastern state in India, where their basic resources of livelihoods and and their very existence are at risk due to ‘structural violence’ embodied in the idea of ‘the state’ which is peopled and controlled by greedy brahmanic minded industrialists. And the most frightening and horrible reality is that the army and the CRPF, that shoot at the deprived Adivasis while resisting these gross injustice, are their own brothers who have joined the army to earn an alternative source of livelihood because they are indoctrinated in brahmanic ideology in schools and their traditional forest, land and water resources have been grossly depleted by centuries of over- exploitation. Can there be anything more inhuman than these…?
The Adivasi children are being forcefully told lies in the schools by way of indoctrinating them in a so-called ‘mainstream’ education system which hides the history of the revolutionary and egalitarian struggles of Adivasi people against their brahmanical (casteist) colonial powers…… This is another thing that must immediately be stopped, and let the local governance institutions – PRIs under the ideals and provisions of PESA must be given full support and resources to run primary education to Adivasi children in their own mother-tongue first, and when children are able to understand their own language and cultural values and are able to appreciate what they values most, and thus when they develop their cognitive capacities sufficiently to learn all kinds of things, they also must be given the best knowledge in both Hindi and English…. this is the only way education can be made more relevant liberating and meaningful for Adivasi children in India. This needs creating awareness among villagers and PRI representative and who is ready to go to depleted and poverty stricken and ‘under developed’ rural villages??????